Origin and release year: Bravo, My Life (South Korea – 2022)

Korean title: 으라차차 내인생

Starring: Nam Sang Ji, Yang Byeong Yeol, Min Ji, Lee Si Kang, Hong Ah Reum, Jo Mi Ryung, Park Hae Mi, Lee Han Wi, Seol Jung Hwan, Kim Hee Jung, Sunwoo Jae Duk, Im Chae Won

Screenwriter: Koo Ji Won

Director: Sung Joon Hae

Synopsis: The adventure story of Seo Dong Hee, a single mother who chose to become her nephew’s mother. (Google)

This drama was decent for the most part. It was problematic but an entertaining watch nonetheless, if you can ignore the stereotyping.

We know that Korean society is a bit behind the times but making single parenthood such a sin in this drama was so baffling. Not one character considered the fact that Seo DongHee (played by Nam Sang Ji)’s hypothetical husband could have passed away or anything like that. She got automatically stereotyped as an immoral teen mom.

More than that, it was flabbergasting that she was treated that way in a supposedly professional setting. Then again, South Korea has no anti-discrimination laws so they must not see a problem with painting such a black brush over such a sensitive topic.

It’s hard to imagine how single parents watching this drama must’ve felt. The fact that a whole pre-production crew approved some of this storyline is shocking. Granted, it is a work of fiction and there were characters who were on her side, but it was still jarring.

Other than that, this drama is a little bit slow on the uptake before it becomes fun to watch. It is interesting from the start but lacks that addictive quality that keeps you coming back until about episode 24.

The actors are all quite talented and pull off their roles well. The child acting was particularly impressive and so were the characters Kang ChaYeol (played by Yang Byeong Yeol) and Baek SeungJu (played by Min Ji)’s acting. They especially stood out.

There is an interesting thing that this drama does, though. It has a way of making you support some of the evil characters’ bad deeds. For example, you might find yourself supporting the chairman’s wife in her plotting because the person they impact is also a bad person. This little character dynamic was quite interesting.

Bravo, My Life also has an interesting duality. It can fill the viewer with resentment at the plot points happening in the story but still presents itself as a feel-good drama. There is also an almost inspiring theme of forgiveness. The characters manage to forgive the unforgivable and almost every bad character ends up redeeming themselves for a holistic happy ending. This really set the drama apart.

What did you think of Bravo, My Life? Let us know in the comments!